The oldest team in the NBA gave the youngest a lesson. 

The tanking Nets — deep into a youth movement — got spanked by the venerable Clippers 121-105 on Friday at Barclays Center. 

With a record five first-round rookies — all but one of whom played — the Nets learned some valuable lessons against Los Angeles. They just weren’t easy ones. 

James Harden put on a show with a game-high 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting, getting to the rim at will. The future Hall of Famer had 15 points in the first quarter alone, when he helped put the Nets in a 16-point hole. 

Kawhi Leonard, who was questionable with a sprained right ankle, added 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. And even with 40-year-old Chris Paul sent home, the Clippers put on a clinic in cutting up what had been a stout Brooklyn defense. 

“The reality is you can explain the game plan, but until you don’t go through it, that’s how you learn,” said Jordi Fernández. “Those minutes were very valuable because you see those guys and sometimes you guard and you’re like ‘Oh, that was good defense.’ But for us, because we’ve seen them do it, it’s like that’s not good defense because they’re going to keep scoring, because they’ve done it all their careers and they’re going to keep doing it. So it’s good. That’s how you learn.” 

The Nets were found wanting. 

They coughed up 59.2 percent shooting and 58.3 from deep, diced up by the Clippers. 

The rebuilding Nets average a league-low 23.7 years old, per NBAage.com, while the Clippers are the only team in the league at 30. 

Lottery pick Egor Dëmin led the Nets with 19 points and three steals on 5-for-10 from deep. Michael Porter Jr. added 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals, but had a rare off night, shooting 0-for-9 from behind the arc. 

“It’s very rare. It’s going to happen once every five years that Mike just misses nine 3s,” Fernández said. 

The Nets (11-24) are fifth in the lottery standings, but are closer to ninth than they are to fourth. Brooklyn stayed two games behind the fourth-seeded Wizards, who lost to the Pelicans. The Nets are half-game ahead of the Hornets, and one ahead of the Jazz. 

The Clippers are 8-2 since a 6-21 start. 

Harden, who broke up the Nets’ Big 3 when he was the first to ask out, led the way. 

“Some great memories. We had an opportunity to do something special,” Harden said of his stint in Brooklyn. “Me personally, I was just injured. And that was the first time in my entire career that I wasn’t able to stay on the court and be effective like I can be, like I am. So for that part, it was a little frustrating. But some great experiences those two years or whatnot, obviously it was COVID, so the world was in a crisis. But, this organization has helped me and I appreciate them.” 

The Nets coughed up a 16-2 run to fall behind by 16 midway through the first quarter. Then they conceded 14 unanswered points in a Clippers blitz that spanned from the end of the first well into the second. 

Even Brooklyn’s all-time leading scorer came back to haunt them. Rookie Danny Wolf drove the baseline late in the third, but got his shot blocked by 37-year-old former Nets center Brook Lopez. 

“They just made it tough for us. They were loading up, doubling Mike, doubling [Cam Thomas]. They had a real good game plan, they were locked in on our sets and we weren’t able to generate a whole bunch of clean looks and get into a really good flow offensively,” Nic Claxton said. 

“They just came out and were hitting shots. You need to start off better, especially playing against such a talented team like the Clippers.”

Jazlyn Frieson (Photo Provided)

BELPRE – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County has announced the appointment of Jazlyn Frieson as unit director for the Belpre club.

“Jazlyn brings a strong combination of experience, passion, and proven leadership to the Belpre Club,” said Justin Clark, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County. “Her ability to build relationships, lead teams, and keep youth at the center of every decision makes her an excellent fit for this role and for the Belpre community.”

Frieson began working with school-age youth during the COVID-19 shutdown, an experience that sparked a lasting passion for mentorship and youth advocacy, according to a release from the club. She joined Boys & Girls Clubs in 2023 and was promoted twice within her first year in the Parkersburg organization.

Her background includes serving as a youth development professional and club director, as well as completing the Club Directors Academy in Louisville, equipping her with the skills needed to lead high-quality programming and build strong teams, Clark said.

“The Belpre Club appeals to me because it’s rooted in the school and has a close-knit community,” Frieson said in the release. “As someone who started in Belpre preschool, this is a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community where I began.”

At the heart of her leadership philosophy is creating a space where youth feel safe, accepted and empowered, the release said.

“It’s about creating a supportive environment where young people can discover their strengths, develop life skills, and become positive community members,” Frieson said. “They can be whoever they want when they walk in, and we’ll accept them. It’s about giving them tools to succeed — and opportunities to just be a kid.”

Frieson emphasized the importance of out-of-school programming for families in Belpre, noting the club provides a safe, structured environment that supports academic and social growth while giving families peace of mind and strengthening the community as a whole.

As unit director, Frieson’s goals include continuous improvement in programming, strengthening relationships with families and partners, and maintaining a strong focus on club quality, the release said.

Frieson prides herself on engaging families during club events and encouraging youth to give back through community service.

“We’re committed to being a valuable resource for families and a positive force in the community,” she said. “We are much more than after-school care.”

Outside of work, Frieson enjoys spending time with her family and embracing her new journey into motherhood — a role that further deepens her commitment to supporting children and families.

“The reason I’m excited to lead the Belpre Club is the opportunity to create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of young people in our community,” she said. “When kids walk through our doors, I want them to feel welcomed, safe and inspired — knowing they belong.”

Frieson’s vision aligns closely with the Boys & Girls Club promise of Great Futures.

“Great Futures means empowering every child with the resources, opportunities and courage to pursue their dreams,” she said. “It’s about equipping youth with support to dream boldly and develop into resilient leaders for a brighter future.”

HOUGHTON — Registration and nominations are now open for the Keweenaw Community Spark Plug Awards Dinner, to be held on Thursday, March 12, at the Memorial Union Ballroom in Houghton.

The Keweenaw Community Spark Plug Awards celebrate and recognize outstanding local businesses, organizations, community projects, and individuals for their contributions and achievements over the past year. The event is organized and hosted by the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce, MTEC SmartZone, Keweenaw Young Professionals (KYP), Copper Shores Community Health Foundation, and the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA).

Community members are encouraged to submit nominations for businesses, organizations, projects, and individuals that made significant strides and demonstrated excellence throughout 2025. Nominations can be submitted online by visiting the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce website at www.keweenaw.org. The deadline to submit nominations is 3 p.m. Feb. 11 p.m.

Nominations are sought in the following categories:

• Growth – Company that has seen significant growth in employment and/or sales during the previous year.

• Customer Service – Recognized by the community, other businesses, and customers for providing superior customer service.

• Innovation / Transformation – New or existing company pursuing new products or services that hold great promise for local economic growth and employment.

• Project of the Year – A high impact project that is notable within the community and will provide lasting benefits to businesses and community members.

• Young Professional of the Year – A person under the age of 40 who made significant strides in our community and in their profession in 2025.

• Community Contributor of the Year – A person who has made strides in the development of our community.

• Hometown Hero of the Year – An individual that went above and beyond to help keep our community safe during the previous year.

• Youth Contributor of the Year – A school-aged individual that helped spark an improvement in our community through community service during the previous year.

Winners for each category will be selected by a committee made up of board members from the hosting organizations.

The event is open to the public. Individual tickets are $60, and reserved tables for eight are available for $440. Sponsorship opportunities are available to provide recognition while supporting the success of this important community event. For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.keweenaw.org or contact the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce office at (906) 482-5240.

Wrestlers from Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio won titles in Pagosa Springs

The Durango High School girls wrestling team poses for a photo after competing in the Rocky Mountain Girls Invitational at Pagosa Springs High School on Friday. (Courtesy Ryan McGrath)

After wrestling in some of the biggest tournaments in the state, the Durango High School girls wrestling team took advantage of less competition at the Rocky Mountain Girls Invitational and finished second on Friday in Pagosa Springs.

The Durango wrestlers weren’t the only locals to have success, with Bayfield High School and Ignacio High School wrestlers winning their weight classes.

“We’re really excited about it,” Durango head coach Ryan McGrath said. “For our younger wrestlers, it was a good tournament where they could be competitive. Some of the hardest stuff for those wrestlers is building the mental game, believing they’re competitive and that their equitable with their opponents. This was a good tournament to exercise that.”

Durango finished second out of nine teams with 78.5 points. Pagosa Springs won the invitational with 85.5 points, and Montezuma-Cortez was third with 52 points. Ignacio finished fourth with 46 points, and Bayfield finished fifth with 39 points.

Once again, it was the Fenberg twins leading the way for the Demons. Aleia won at 130 pounds, and Lillian won at 140 pounds. Aleia pinned her first two opponents before dominating Ignacio’s Kima Rima, 15-0. She then won her weight class by beating Pagosa Springs’ Kyley Matyniak, 9-5.

Lillian pinned each of her three opponents in less than 90 seconds, including Ignacio’s Eliska Prokopova in the final to win the weight class.

“She’s a very explosive wrestler, and so we’ve been working a lot on the application of that explosiveness,” McGrath said about Lillian. “Don’t just go out there, explode and hope something takes. Go out there and be intentional … she was very dominant today.”

Durango’s Keelyn Reynolds had a solid tournament, finishing second at 120 pounds. She won her first two matches before losing to Nucla’s Kynnlie McCabe, 11-7, in the final.

McGrath has been proud of how Reynolds’ skill set has grown and been refined. Reynolds’ first high school win was this year, and she’s been very good about making a plan and sticking to it, according to McGrath. At the beginning of the year, he didn’t know if Reynolds could make it to the postseason, but now, he believes she has a shot at qualifying for regionals and state.

Sydney McAllister also finished second for the Demons. At 105 pounds, McAllister lost in the final 9-0 to Pagosa Springs’ Bella Jackson. McAllister is also a hockey player, and her toughness showed in Pagosa Springs as she was persistent and pushed her opponents, according to McGrath.

Bayfield’s Jade Kehoe finished first at 155 pounds after pinning Montezuma-Cortez’s Reese Wing in the final. Allison Thomas finished third at 110 pounds for the Wolverines; Elly Coey bounced back after losing her first match to finish third at 120 pounds, and Ashlynn Bravo finished third at 140 pounds.

For Ignacio, Krysten Neil won at 135 pounds after she pinned Audrina Smith from Pagosa Springs in the final. Eliska Prokopova finished second at 140 pounds after losing to Lillian in the final. Kodi Rima finished third at 130 pounds.

Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio will all compete in the La Plata Tri at Bayfield High School on Thursday at 4 p.m.

bkelly@durangoherald.com

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SAN ANTONIO — The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a youth leader/teacher on several child sex charges.

Caldwell County detectives flew to Las Vegas and extradited Brian Rodriguez back to Texas for the following child sexual offenses:

“This case remains active and if you or someone you know have any additional information pertaining to Brian Rodriguez, please contact Detective M. Reinarz at 512-359-4514 or marie.reinarz@co.caldwell.tx.us. The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office request parents to speak to their children if their children were acquaintances of Brian Rodriguez,” CCSO said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville youth sports program will add softball this year and continue efforts to remove cost barriers that keep many children from playing organized baseball and softball.

Lashun Highsmith, the founder of Diamond in the Rough, talked about the new softball program and why it was needed.

“Yes. We have seen the need for softball in our community,” Highsmith said. “A lot of our girls don’t get a chance to play until they get to middle school. Maybe they start out and play a tee ball. But, you know, once they hit ten and they love ten, ten years old, they fall in love and they maybe revisit the sport again in middle school. So we want to give the girls a chance now in our community, to play the game of softball at an early age.”

Coach Tercel McKinzie of the Henry Brown Athletic Association said he focuses on fundamentals to keep players engaged across multiple sports.

“In the beginning, just making sure that I start with fundamentals in each sport, teaching it the proper way and for a lot of them, like, I’m dealing with a demographic or a low income,” McKinzie said. “So a lot of the kids that I deal with, they don’t have fathers, so for them, I am their father. So for most of them, they’ll do exactly what I ask them to do. So it’s not one of those things that they’ll question.”

Affordability, Highsmith said, is one of the biggest obstacles for families.

“Yeah. Cost is the biggest thing that have priced a lot of our kids out of the game. So what we have been doing with Stolen Base Kings and over at Henry Brown Association, we made it affordable for parents to be able to bring the kids out and play football and baseball at the same time, others venture out into basketball too, but a lot of times football and basketball, basketball have been so dominant in our community,” Highsmith said.

He pointed to rising fees for youth baseball and the program’s approach to keep the sport accessible.

“And with the prices of baseball really so high now, you know, it’s some teams are charging $150 and $200-250 a month to play. And our kids can’t afford that, along with the training and everything. So I say we incorporate fundamentals in our regular practices and a lot of, well, we take time and we give special training to individual kids as well,” Highsmith said.

The clinic will be on Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. at Nip Sams Park 6602 Richardson Road. Lunch and gloves will be provided for free.